To Have a Home
by Ammie Hawk
Summary: After first year, Harry Potter is tired of his treatment at the Dursleys and decides to run away and join the Avengers. Little does he know the surprises that are in store for him when he arrives.
1. Chapter 1

To Have a Home

By Ammie Hawk

Summary: After first year, Harry Potter is tired of his treatment at the Dursleys and decides to run away and join the Avengers. Little does he know the surprises that are in store for him when he arrives.

AN: So this is the start of a new fic that has come up and bit me hard on the ass. I'm only posting this chapter for the time being, seeing how everyone responds to it. If my flow continues, I may have another chapter or two posted before too long, but otherwise, I'm holding off on all other postings of this fic and all others until my twelve days of Christmas project, but let me know what you think.

This is also my first attempt at an Alpha/Beta/Omega fic, so please bear with me as I come to grips with the genre. As usual, please enjoy my descent into madness.

Prologue

Eleven year old Harry Potter peeked around the doorframe to the living room of Number Four Privet Drive. His wide green eyes were glued to the television set the Dursleys were currently watching. The screen was showing an intense battle between some evil creatures coming from a hole in the sky and a group of people they were calling the Avengers.

"Bunch of freaks, if you ask me," his Uncle Vernon snorted at the set. "Bringing their problems down on us normal folk."

Aunt Petunia made a noise of agreement. Dudley's eyes were glued to the screen, his entire being focused on the devastation unfolding. Harry shifted slightly, hoping to get a better view, when a floorboard squeaked under his weight. He froze, hoping his relatives hadn't heard.

"Boy!" his uncle roared, and he knew he was in trouble now. "I know you're there, come here, now!"

The raven haired boy shuffled into the living room, his head bowed and eyes glued to the floor. When he was within arm's reach of his uncle, he felt a beefy hand close around his forearm and yank him forward.

"What do you think you are doing?" Vernon snarled, giving him a firm shake.

Harry gave a faint whimper, but knew nothing he could say would appease the obese man.

"I asked you a question, boy?" a firm smack landed across the side of his head, causing stars to dance across his vision.

"I was just passing, and—and I saw," he stuttered slightly. "I didn't mean to watch, Uncle Vernon, I—I'm sorry."

"Oh, you will be," Vernon said, hefting himself up, not letting go of his nephew's arm.

He dragged him up the stairs. Harry stumbled slightly on the steps but his uncle didn't seem to notice or care. When they reached the smallest bedroom, he was thrown unceremoniously onto his bed. Vernon slammed the door closed behind him and flipped on the light.

"You ungrateful little freak," he said, spit flying from his lips as he undid his belt. "Looks like you need to be reminded of your place. And you'd better not use that freakishness."

He punctuated the last word with a lash from the belt. Harry barely managed to throw up his arms to protect his face, something he learned long ago kept others from asking questions, before he felt the sting of the leather across his chest. Hoping to avoid any visible damage and muffle his screams of pain, he curled up into a ball and buried his face in the pillow, the belt still licking every inch of him it could reach.

888888

"You didn't tell us you weren't allowed to use magic outside school," said Uncle Vernon, a mad gleam dancing in his eyes. "Forgot to mention it…. Slipped your mind, I daresay…."

He was bearing down on Harry like a giant bulldog, all his teeth bared. "Well, I've got news for you, boy…. I'm locking you up…. You're never going back to that school… never… and if you try and magic yourself out—they'll expel you!"

And laughing like a maniac, he dragged Harry back upstairs, where he proceeded to work him over once again.

Later that night, Harry lay in the dark, in too much pain to actually sleep. He didn't think he could deal with much more of this. He was all alone here, and true he hadn't had any correspondence from the wizarding world and that was because of Dobby, but they obviously didn't care enough to check on him. He had to get away, otherwise he might not live to make it back to Hogwarts anyway. But where could he go? And could he even get away?

Wait. Dobby wanted him gone from Hogwarts, didn't he? Well, couldn't he promise not to return to school and still leave the Dursleys? But how could he get the house elf to help him when he wasn't here?

He carefully pushed into a sitting position, wincing with every movement. From what it sounded like the little creature had to be watching him, so maybe he was now as well. It was just a thought, right? But it couldn't hurt to try.

"D-Dobby?" he said in barely a whisper, not wanting to risk waking the Dursleys.

"Harry Potter called for Dobby?" the house elf appeared with a soft pop.

"Shh," Harry held up his hands, his ears straining to hear any sound from his relatives. "I don't have a lot of time. If I can get you to do me a favor, I promise I won't go back to Hogwarts."

"Dobby is listening, Harry Potter," he nodded slowly.

"If you can get my stuff from under the stairs and get me far away from here, I won't go back to Hogwarts, I promise," he sniffed back a sob.

The small creature nodded and snapped his fingers. Harry's trunk with all his school supplies appeared in the room. He sighed as he lifted the latch and opened the lid. With another muffled sob, he turned to his wardrobe and began throwing everything inside as fast as he could in his current state.

It took him over half an hour to gather all his belongings. He had just placed Hedwig's cage on the top of his trunk, when he heard a floorboard creak in the hallway. Wide green eyes turned to the house elf in panic. If he was going to do this it had to be now.

"Dobby, please take me to New York."

* * *

Ammie: So I'm alive, and kinda on a writing streak at the moment, but as I stated before, I'm compiling for my twelve days of Christmas. I'm over halfway there at the moment, so it's looking good. Anyway, please let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

To Have a Home

By Ammie Hawk

Disclaimer: Don't own shit at the moment, except a cat…

AN: So I'm still going pretty strong on this fic and others for my Christmas challenge so I decided to post another chapter. Originally this was two chapters, but I decided to combine them since they were on the short side. Anyway, enjoy.

Chapter 1

The newly formed Avengers sat around a table in what remained of the penthouse of Stark Tower. Well, most of them anyway, Thor had disappeared back to Asgard, taking Loki and the Tesseract with him. Nick Fury, the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. had just arrived for their debriefing on recent events.

The debriefing didn't take long, and when it was finished, Fury turned his one good eye on Steve Rogers, the Captain America.

"Rogers," he sighed, folding his hands in front of him and leaning his elbows on the table, "I know you just finished saving the world, but I have some information that I believe you'll want to have, regarding a Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes."

"Bucky?" the blond blinked in shock. "But Bucky died, I was there. What information could you possibly have?"

"Apparently, your friends at Hydra decided that Sergeant Barnes was of more use to them alive than dead," the director shook his head. "We aren't sure what experiments they did on him but we do know the last known location where he was being kept."

"Where?" he asked, jumping to his feet.

Fury handed him a file and then took his leave. Steve opened the file and quickly scanned the contents, his mind only really registering one thing: the location. He snapped it closed and then turned to the rest of his team.

"I don't expect any of you to understand," he shook his head, "but I have to go take care of this. I'm not asking any of you to come with me either. We just fought in one hell of a battle out there, take some time to rest up. I'll be back soon, hopefully with Bucky."

"Look, Cap," Tony Stark piped up, "it's great you want to play the hero and all, but if we learned nothing else today, we're a team, and we work better as a team. So if you're going, count us in. Besides, you can't get rid of us that easily."

The other three remaining Avengers nodded.

"Besides," Clint Barton chuckled, "how did you plan to get there? It's not like you can fly the quinjet. Admit it, you need us."

"Fine," the Captain smiled, it looked like he might have found a place to belong in this new time he'd found himself in. "Let's go."

They nodded again, grabbed a few things, namely a new suit for Tony, and made their way to the quinjet. Clint and Natasha got behind the controls while the other three took seats around the cabin.

"So," Tony said, once they were safely in the air and on their way, "since we got some time to kill, with nowhere else to go, why don't we get to know each other better?" All eyes turned to look at him incredulously. "What? Look, if we're gonna be working together, as you know, a unit, for a prolonged period of time, we should, you know, get to know one another. So, let's start off with something easy. So what is everyone?" He received four blank stares for his efforts. "Come on, you know, what's your status?"

"That's not just something you ask, Tony," Bruce scolded quietly.

The billionaire pouted for a moment, before taking a deep breath and plunging on, "Come on, it's a fair question. Wouldn't it be better if we knew if we run the risk of one of us going into heat or rut, as the case may be, in the middle of a mission? Here, how about I take a guess? Nat, you are a Beta, and Clint there is… your Beta lover."

"Wrong," Clint snorted. "And if I were you, I wouldn't go around saying anyone's my lover, otherwise, my Alpha… suitor, I guess you could say, might get mad."

"You didn't tell me you snagged an Alpha," Natasha turned to look at her good friend.

"It's kinda an ongoing thing," the archer shrugged. "Nothing's set in stone yet. And he's kinda old fashioned, he's insisting on courting me. It's kinda sweet actually."

"Whoa," Tony looked taken aback. "Never would've guessed that Legolas was an Omega. Anyway," he shook his head, "Cappy's obviously an Alpha, and Bruce, Bruce is a Beta, but the Other Guy, he's an Alpha."

"And we all know Tony's all Alpha," the redhead snorted.

"Omegas," Banner shook his head, "always wrong, unless they're in heat. Everyone in here is an Omega, with the exception of myself."

"How do you know that?" the Stark heir gave him an incredulous look.

"Alphas can always tell," he shrugged. "It's one of the things that make us Alphas. Betas are okay at knowing, about a seventy-five percent accuracy rate. But Omegas, Omegas suck at it, unless they're in heat, then they just know. And that is with the utmost respect to all of you."

"You're an Omega, Cap'n?" Clint asked, choosing to ignore the slight and change the subject. "That's kinda hard to believe."

"Have been my entire life," the man out of time sighed. "The Serum couldn't change that."

"Is that why you wanted to find Sergeant Barnes?" Bruce gave Steve a sympathetic look. "Is he your Alpha?"

"We never bonded," the Captain sighed again. "And I did actually have a bonded Alpha after, but… but yeah, he was mine… is, hopefully? If nothing else, I just really need to see him again."

"Well, I hope we find him then," the doctor smiled sadly.

"Yeah," Tony agreed, trying to break up some of the tension. "We'll get him back for you. Avengers stick together, right? We're a family now, and families make sure all of its members are happy. Or, at least, that's what I've heard."

"Thanks, Tony," Steve's smile held a hint of nostalgia. "That means a lot, coming from you."

888888

Harry Potter stared up at the tall building in front of him. He was sure this was where he wanted to be. It was Stark Tower, and Tony Stark was Iron Man, and an Avenger, so he should be able to let him join, or at least, set up a meeting.

He sighed as he made his way into the building, his mind drifting back over the past several hours since Dobby had dropped him off in Central Park. It had been the middle of the night in England, but it was just turning night in New York. Regardless, he had been exhausted, so he asked Dobby if he could make his trunk more manageable and let Hedwig out of her cage. The little elf complied happily, freeing the owl and then shrinking his belongings so they could fit in his pocket. He then found a bush that would sufficiently hide him and curled up and finally gave in to his exhaustion.

The following morning he woke with the sun, stiff and sore from his beatings and sleeping on the cold ground. He stretched a bit to relieve his sore muscles and then made his way toward the large building in the distance. Which led him to where he was now.

He was rather surprised to find the front door unlocked and people in the lobby. With everything that happened, he'd expected it to be deserted, except for maybe the Avengers. He didn't let that stop him though. With the stealth he learned from his years at the Dursleys, he slipped around everyone without being noticed and got into the lift. He pressed the button for the top floor, holding his breath and hoping this worked.

"Passcode, please," a cool male voice said.

"Er," he bit his lip, he didn't know any passcode. He closed his eyes and hit a series of random buttons, wishing with all his might for it to work. His eyes flew open and his breath escaped in a whoosh as he felt the elevator begin to rise. The car continued going even after it reached the highest number, and Harry hoped it wasn't gonna go plummeting anytime soon.

When the doors finally opened, his mouth fell open in shock. Even in its ruined state, due to the recent battle, the penthouse was amazing. He slowly stepped out of the lift and looked around.

"He-Hello?" he called softly, hoping to find someone at home.

"Hello, young sir," the same voice from the elevator greeted him. "Mr. Stark is not currently at home. I am called Jarvis. I have informed Mr. Stark of your arrival. Please make yourself at home. If you require anything, do not hesitate to ask.

"Uh, thanks," he said hesitantly.

"You're welcome," Jarvis replied.

Harry wasn't sure what to make of the disembodied voice, but he couldn't dwell on that right now. With hesitant steps, he made his way further into the penthouse. He wasn't sure about making himself at home, but he did take a moment to explore his surroundings.

There were several rooms off the main one, most of them bedrooms, a library, what looked to be an office, and a massive bathroom. He didn't want to take one of the rooms, that would be intruding on someone else's space, and that would be rude, but he did filch a blanket and a small pillow that weren't likely to be missed. He took them back to the main room and tucked them away in a far corner near the elevator.

Once his things were all settled there, he continued his exploration, this time of the main room. Aside from the lift, it looked like the only other entrance or exit was to the smashed up balcony and what looked like a landing pad. Those and the windows, and while a lot of them were broken, he didn't think anyone would be getting in that way, as it was several dozen stories up.

The room itself consisted of a sunken living room area, with comfortable leather furniture and a huge, larger than any he'd ever seen, television and media center, and across from it was a nice, state of the art, kitchen, that would make a professional chef jealous. When he spotted that feature, his stomach decided to remind him that the last thing he had eaten was a small piece of cheese and some stale bread. With a sigh, he made his way over to the fridge to see what he could scrounge up to eat.

There wasn't much, but he did find a few things to make a halfway decent meal. Once he was finished eating, he cleaned up the mess he'd made and then looked around. The place was in shambles, and he knew he couldn't fix anything, but maybe, maybe if he cleaned up a bit, they'd hear him out and not just decide to send him back. He couldn't go back, he just couldn't, he'd rather die at this point.

With that thought in mind, he began searching for cleaning supplies. He found a small closet tucked away beside the bathroom that had all manner of cleaning supplies. First things first, he couldn't do much with all the glass scattered around the floor. So he grabbed the broom and headed out to begin sweeping.

He hadn't made it very far besides sweeping, as there was just so much to do and he wasn't recovered from his wounds yet, when he looked up and notice it was already dark outside. The lights in the tower had turned on automatically, he figured it had to be Jarvis' doing. With a sigh, he finally stopped cleaning and headed to the kitchen to make a quick dinner. From there, he made his way to the bathroom. Even though it was still quite a mess, Harry couldn't justify going to sleep in his dirty state. Besides, the cuts were starting to itch and burn painfully and he knew from experience that a nice soak in the tub would ease both symptoms.

Once he deemed himself clean enough, and the pain had subsided a bit, he exited the bathroom and made his way over to the corner he'd claimed earlier. He shivered from the cool evening air coming from the broken windows as it skimmed over his wet hair and damp skin. With slightly trembling hands, he curled up on the floor, his borrowed blanket pulled tightly around him.

888888

Clint Barton sighed as he landed the quinjet at the top of Stark Tower. The mission had taken longer than they had anticipated, almost a week, with more bloodshed than any of them wanted, but it had been a success. They had found Sergeant Barnes trapped in a cryogenic sleep and had taken him back to S.H.I.E.L.D. for a full evaluation and to wake him up. The Captain had insisted on staying with him, and none of them had the heart to refuse the poor Omega.

He shook his head as he cut the engines and followed the others into the penthouse. Tony had insisted they all stay there, as it was large enough to accommodate all of them. Even though it had taken a beating in the battle it was still better than most places any of the others had stayed in the past.

"Wow, Tony," Natasha's voice carried through the room, "you already hired a cleaning crew? You don't waste any time, do you?"

"I-I didn't," the billionaire frowned, looking around at the obvious signs of cleaning, namely the pile of glass and debris in the middle of the floor. "Jarvis?"

The other three began looking around, their bodies tensing on instinct. As the AI started talking, the archer spotted movement in the corner by the elevator. At first, he was just going to write it off as something shifted during the fight, until he heard a faint sound that wasn't coming from Jarvis' normal drone. With a frown, he made his way over to the corner. He lifted what had to be the smallest, thinnest blanket Tony owned, either that or a large towel, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Bruce!" he called over his shoulder, his hand going to the kid's forehead. "Need your help over here."

Even though Clint wasn't his Omega, the Alpha couldn't help but respond to the urgency in his voice, the others hot on his heels. They huddled close and the archer shifted so the doctor could have a look, but lifted the child onto his lap, instincts taking over.

"He's got a fever," Bruce scowled, "and possible onset of infection. Tony, who is this kid?"

"Good question, never seen him before in my life," the brunet shook his head. "Jarvis?"

"I informed you of his arrival approximately 71.25 hours ago," the AI answered.

"Let's just assume for five seconds, that I was busy 71.25 hours ago and wasn't really paying attention to what was happening back home. So explain again."

If a machine could roll its eyes, Jarvis would have done so, "His name is Harry James Potter, originally from Surrey, England, and he arrived at the tower 71.27 hours ago."

"Okay, smartass," why did he give Jarvis the ability to be snarky again? "how and why did Harry end up in the penthouse?"

"He used the elevator," Jarvis replied, "and I allowed him access."

"Why in the seven layers of hell would you do something like that?" Tony snapped irritably.

"We can discuss this later," Bruce interrupted, using his Alpha voice. "We need to get him to a hospital. If we don't get this fever down, he might not even last the night."

The three Omegas immediately jumped into action. Clint slowly eased to his feet, still cradling the boy to his chest; Natasha led the way to the quinjet; while Tony and Bruce brought up the rear, a phone to the doctor's ear. He gave the only female the name of the hospital he had on the phone. Once they were in the air, tony continued interrogating Jarvis.

"Okay, Jarvis, spill, why did you let the kid into the tower?"

"Because, sir, he is a Stark," the AI answered calmly. "I ran his DNA when he entered an attempt at the passcode. The results indicated that he is the son of your father, Howard Stark."

"How is that even possible?" Tony ran his fingers through his hair. "Dad died over twenty years ago, this kid can't be older than ten."

"Twelve, actually, as of July 31st," Jarvis cut in.

"I'm rerouting to S.H.I.E.L.D." Natasha shook her head, changing course. "Normal hospitals aren't equipped to deal with Tony in this state."

"Sir, there's…"

"Not now, Jarvis," the billionaire cut him off, his face in his hands.

"Hey," Clint said gently, hoping not to provoke the other Omega, "you want to take him?"

"Why would I want to do that?" Tony looked up incredulously. "I don't do kids."

"Tony," the doctor shook his head, "I know you don't know th… Harry, but he is your family, and while it's not scientifically proven, in most cases that are this severe, physical contact from a family member or mate to help. Since he's too young for a mate, and the rest of his family is dead, Tony, you're his only option."

"Fine," the brunet sighed, motioning for the blond to hand him over.

The archer nodded and carefully pushed to his feet. They both tried to be as gentle as possible but the small boy still whimpered at the transition. Instinctively, Tony gingerly cradled the boy to his chest and started carding his fingers through the inky locks.

"Shh," he soothed. "You're alright. I've got you."

The boy settled a bit more comfortably against his chest, well as comfortably as he seemed to be able to get anyway.

Tony took this time to study the boy who was his brother. He definitely had the Stark coloring, well maybe a little bit darker, but it happens. The facial structure was all Stark, it was almost like looking in a mirror, thirty odd years ago. But he was so scrawny. No one in his family had been that small, that he knew of. Then again, there was a whole half of this kid's genetics that he didn't know. It was kinda obvious that his mother wasn't involved in this kid's birth.

That brought on a whole slew of questions, though. Like, how was this kid even born? What, did his dad have some of his stuff frozen or something, and someone just happened to use it? Or was it something else? Or maybe… maybe his dad didn't even die in that crash? No, he quickly discarded that last one. Howard Stark had loved the spotlight even more than Tony did, there was no way he would fake his own death and give it all up.

Of course, there could be another reason for his small stature. And while it wasn't always the case, some Omegas did tend toward smaller frames. With that thought in mind, he shifted the boy and reached down to the boy's left side and lowered the waistband so he could see the tattoo that marked what his classification was, after all, everyone was supposed to get one on their twelfth birthday. Only, his brother didn't have one, but there was something else that caused a scowl to mar his features.

"Bruce," he said quietly, "please tell me this isn't what I think it is?"

The doctor frowned and moved over to see what the other brunet was talking about. What he saw had him almost seeing red, or in his case, green.

"Take off his shirt," he commanded, doing his best to keep the Other Guy in check, now was not the time for him to make an appearance.

Clint got up at the command and began assisting Tony in removing the thin fabric from the boy. Tony and Clint both gasped, while a low growl emanated from Bruce, as a web of angry red welts was revealed. Most of them were cracked and scabbing over, but a few were oozing a yellowish puss.

"Calm down, Bruce," Natasha's voice floated from the front, sensing, not seeing, what was going on behind her. "Now is not the time for the Other Guy to show up. Let's get him to S.H.I.E.L.D. and get some answers, then you can have a clear target to pummel."

His eyes flashed green for a moment before he closed them and took several calming breaths. When he opened them again, there was only a faint green ring around the iris, but otherwise the Hulk seemed to be contained.

Though, he may not be the boy's Alpha, or even Tony's, but right now, he needed to be closer to the boy, just to reassure both halves of himself that he was doing all he could to protect him. He knew it wasn't wise to take him away from his brother, so with that thought in mind, he lifted both of them onto his lap. Tony made a noise of protest, but at a small warning growl from the Alpha, he decided it was best to just accept it till they reached the hospital.

* * *

Ammie: Okay, forgive any mistakes, it's getting kinda late, and I tried to catch them all but it might not have happened. And unless I get a nice streak going, this is probably my last update till December. Anyway, let me know what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

To Have a Home

By Ammie Hawk

Disclaimer: Happy Halloween!

AN: So, as it is Halloween, and I'm feeling very festive, I thought I'd post another chapter.

Anyway, I'm done rambling, on to the chapter.

Chapter 2

Steve Rogers sighed as he sat by the bed of his best friend. He still couldn't believe that Bucky was actually alive. Though, he wasn't sure what he was going to tell the other man when he woke up. How was he supposed to tell the man he'd been in love with since they were kids, that almost immediately after he thought he'd died, he'd bonded with someone else? Not that it had lasted long, or been that strong, he'd gone under the ice shortly after, and his bondmate was now long since passed away. But would Bucky forgive him for that, he didn't know.

Before he could dwell on the matter further, the door burst open and Tony barged in. He was actually surprised to see the billionaire, as he was sure the rest of the team had headed back to the tower to get some much needed and deserved rest.

"Tony?" blue eyes followed the brunet as he began pacing around the room. "What are you doing here?"

"He's in the hospital," Tony said, making no sense to the other man. "We got to the tower, and then had to come right back."

He continued to rant and pace, but Steve was so confused he only picked up a few words like sick, small, Howard, and Hulk.

"Wait," he held up his hand. "Is Bruce okay?"

"What? No, Bruce is fine, a bit pissy, but fine," Tony shook his head. "It's the kid."

"I'm confused," the man out of time shook his head. "What kid? You know what, start at the beginning."

"Okay," the brunet took a deep breath and sat down on the only available surface, the edge of Bucky's bed. "We got back to the tower, and there was this kid in the corner. He was unconscious and feverish, so we decided to take him to the hospital. Come to find out, Jarvis let him into the tower because, get this, the kid's a Stark. Yeah, I know, crazy, right? Anyway, so apparently, the kid's my dad's. So I've now got a twelve year old kid brother, that I know nothing about, including where the hell he came from, because my dad died over twenty years ago. If anyone can tell me how that's fuckin' possible, I'm all ears."

As the Captain listened to this new turn of events, his heart skipped a beat. This news was extraordinary, and in normal circumstances, yeah, impossible. But he had a niggling suspicion on how this might have happened, but he wanted proof before he actually said anything.

 _Flashback_

 _Captain Steve Rogers sat alone in the room that he had been given, after just losing his best friend in the entire world, Sergeant James "Bucky" Barnes. He had tried getting drunk, but the Serum wouldn't allow that. Surprisingly, Howard Stark had found him and took him home with him._

" _So," speak of the devil, "I understand you were close to Barnes, but I think he'd want you to continue on. There's so much to be done, and unfortunately there's no time to dwell on it."_

" _I know," the blond cleared his throat, hoping to keep his voice from cracking under the suppressed emotions, "but it's just so hard. Bucky's been my best friend for forever, he was always there, ya know, ready to get me out of all the scrapes I got into. There was also the possibility for something more. Sorry," he realized what he'd just admitted, "I don't know why I just said that."_

" _It's okay," Stark slipped his arm around the blond's shoulders. "I'm not here to judge you. Nothing goes beyond this room."_

" _Thanks," he laid his head on the other's shoulder, drawing comfort from the contact. "But none of that matters now, he's… he's gone. I went crazy when I found out he was captured, and I knew I had to do something. But… but now, there's nothing…"_

 _He choked back a sob as the tears started flowing down his cheeks. Howard just let him cry, slipping his other arm around him and pulling him close, rubbing his back soothingly. When the tears finally stopped, the brunet tilted Steve's face and placed a soft kiss on his forehead, then his nose, and finally on his lips._

" _H-Howard," the blond pulled back suddenly. "I-I can't… not now…"_

" _I know," Stark gave a small smile and got to his feet. "Just know that I'm here if you need anything."_

 _End Flashback_

"Tony," the blond shook his head, "I think, maybe, the best way to get your answer, is to find out who the other parent is."

"Yeah," Tony ran his hand through his hair. "Also should see what's actually wrong with him, besides the obvious infection and blood loss."

"I'll go with you, if you want," the Captain offered. "I mean, it doesn't look like Bucky's waking up any time soon, so I've got nothing but time."

"Yeah, sure, why not?" the brunet shrugged, pushing to his feet. "Let's go check on my kid brother."

Steve nodded, and together they left the room and made their way to ICU. The sight that greeted them when they entered the hallway was not what they were expecting. Staring into one of the rooms was the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Mr. Nickolas Fury himself. He must have heard their approach, since he turned as soon as they got close.

"Captain, Stark," he nodded in greeting.

"Director," the blond replied. "What brings you here?"

"Him," he motioned with a file in his hand toward the window. "And you. I figured it would be best if you heard it from me, rather than someone else."

"What?" Steve gave the director a confused look.

"It's all in here," Fury handed him the file, "but the short of it is, that boy in there is your son."

"M-My son?" the blond stuttered. "I-If I had a son, he'd be over seventy years old right now, not twelve."

"Let's just put it this way," the one eyed man rubbed his lip, "you weren't the only one we pulled out of the ice, Captain. When we thawed you out we discovered you were just over four weeks pregnant. You remained in a coma, but the pregnancy progressed normally. You gave birth to a five pound nine ounce bouncing baby boy. We were hoping that the baby would bring you out of it, Omega instincts and what not. We were told, however, that the infant did not last the night. An oversight I will personally be looking into."

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Steve shook his head, he couldn't believe his theory was true.

"Cap… Steve," Fury sighed, "I may only be a Beta, but I know what Omegas can go through when they lose a child. It was nine years before you woke up. I thought I was doing you a favor by not telling you."

"I'm sure you meant well, Fury," Bruce interrupted, stepping out of the hospital room. "Right now, though, I think it would be best if they went to see Harry, he's not doing well and could use his family."

The director nodded and headed off down the hallway. As soon as he was well out of earshot, Tony rounded on the super soldier, shoving him against the wall.

"What the hell?!" he practically yelled. "So, what? You seduced my dad and got pregnant? Then decided to drop both of them by flying into the ice?!"

"It wasn't like that, Tony," the blond bowed his head, fighting back tears. "I-I didn't know."

"You know what? Save it," the billionaire snarled. "I can't even look at you."

He gave the Captain one final shove and took off down the hallway. The other two watched him go. Steve made to follow him but Bruce's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Let him go," he shook his head.

"I-I have to explain," Steve took a shaky breath. "It-It wasn't like that. I-I didn't… I-I couldn't… It-It really wasn't like that."

"Steve," Bruce sighed and pulled the super soldier into his arms, "I may not know exactly what happened but I do know you and when Tony calms down and gets his head out of his ass, he'll realize he knows you too. Now, in the meantime, there's a little boy in there who desperately needs his daddy. So, if you can pull yourself together, we'll reunite you with your son."

The blond Omega nodded, rubbing his hands over his face. He couldn't fix things with Tony right now, but he could fix things with his own son, and that was something he couldn't ignore.

888888

Tony found the nearest exit, put on his Iron Man suit, and took off for the tower. He needed to get away. This was just too much for him to handle right now. It was bad enough that Howard had been an absentee father but if it hadn't been for the perfect Omega specimen that was Captain America, things would've been different for him and his mother.

He knew things had never been perfect for his parents, but they might have stood a chance if it wasn't for that shameless Omega. He had probably planned to spring the whole baby thing on him after he saved the world, intending to ensnare himself a wealthy Alpha and be set for the rest of his life. God only knows he had enough sniffing around him, Alphas, Betas, and Omegas, all trying to cash in on the Stark name.

When he reached the tower, he bypassed the platform he'd made for taking off the suit and flew through the busted windows. As soon as he was inside, he held his hand out and began destroying everything in sight. It may have been childish but he really needed to vent.

He had destroyed most of the furniture, avoiding the bar and most of the high end electronics, but had just turned his hand to the large flatscreen, when a voice interrupted his destruction.

"Tony?"

He whirled around, ready to defend himself, but quickly lowered his hand when he recognized the God of Thunder.

"Thor?" he lifted the faceplate on his suit. "Thought you went home, what are you doing here?"

"It was never my intention to stay gone for long," the blond shook his head, "I was just delivering Loki. Why are you destroying your home?"

"Look, Muscles," the billionaire glared at him, "it's none of your business, so back off."

Thor took a deep breath and set Mjolnir on a nearby counter, which had miraculously survived the carnage. He then raised his hands in a placating gesture, taking a careful step forward.

"Tony," his voice was uncharacteristically gentle, "why don't you take off the armor and we can talk. You can say it's not my business, but if it is effecting you this much, it effects the team, which last time I checked, I was a part of. So, please, take off the armor and talk to me."

Tony continued to glare as he reluctantly began the process of removing his Iron Man suit. He wasn't sure why but he couldn't help but obey the command in the Asgardian's voice. Once he was finished, Thor motioned for the brunet to join him on the stair to the sunken living room, the only available seat left in the penthouse. With a sigh, he complied. When he got close enough the God of Thunder grabbed his wrist and pulled him onto his lap.

"Hey!" the billionaire protested trying to get up.

"Relax," the blond began rubbing his back soothingly. "Just accept it and tell me what's going on."

"Fine," Tony began to explain what had been going on, slowly relaxing into the other's hold.

"So this boy is the son of your father and Steve, making him your brother?" Thor scowled. "This is joyous news. Why would you be destroying your home over it?"

"That's just it," the brunet shook his head, but couldn't bring himself to get too worked up, not while he was in the Asgardian's hold. "I found out that the one person who made my childhood a living hell, could've made me nonexistent, had he not decided to dump himself into the ocean. I mean, it's obvious he loves someone else. So what? He runs to the first Alpha that could support him and seduced him into knocking him up?"

"Tony," the god's tone was reprimanding, "Steve is not like that and you know it. Perhaps, you should talk with him before jumping to these unfounded conclusions."

"I guess," the brunet sighed, he didn't know why but all his anger and frustration seemed to melt away at the blond's ministrations. "I'm-I'm just not sure how to."

"A good start would be to go back to the hospital and talk to Steve and wait for your brother to awaken."

The Omega nodded and Thor gave him one last pat on the back, before getting to his feet and grabbing his hammer. He then wrapped his free arm back around the billionaire and began swinging Mjolnir.

"Hold on," he warned as he leapt into the air, flying toward the hospital.

Tony tried to protest the manhandling, but once again found himself incapable of fighting. It was as he was relaxing into the strong one armed embrace, that it hit him. Thor was a fucking Alpha! The fucking asshole had subdued him with his Alpha pheromones. Not that he could get too riled up about this fact, the fucker still had a hold of him.

He couldn't believe he'd been Alpha whammied when not in heat, not that he ever let an Alpha near him at that particular time, mind you. Though, he couldn't say he actually hated the treatment. It was actually quite nice and refreshing to have all that attention focused on himself. Of course, when the other shoe fell, like it always did, he'd be the one hurt and left in the dirt.

With that thought filling his head, they landed on the roof of the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility. Tony immediately pushed away from the God of Thunder and gave him his most vicious glare.

"You-You Alpha'd me!" he practically yelled.

"Tony, I was helping you," the blond frowned. "I was doing what any Alpha would do for a distressed Omega. I was helping ground you. You needed support, I gave it."

"Alphas don't do that," the billionaire shook his head agitatedly. "They never give support, and they always want something in return when they do."

"I will never understand your ways," Thor shook his head. "On Asgard, an Alpha takes care of and protects Omegas in their care. You are my friend and my comrade and I would do anything within my power to assist you or any Omega on the team, with no strings attached."

"Yeah, right," Tony scoffed.

Before Thor could argue further, a tremor ran through the building. The two Avengers immediately put their dispute on hold to face the new threat.

"Earthquake?" the billionaire asked, though it seemed unlikely in New York.

"No," the blond frowned. "That was magic."

"Loki?"

"He is safely contained on Asgard," Thor shook his head. "This is coming from inside the building."

Together, they made their way to the stairs and began the descent into the bowels of the hospital. Thor took the lead, as he could feel where the magic was originating. They finally came to a stop outside a room, where the rest of the Avengers had gathered in a state of panic.

"Tony," Bruce sighed in relief at the sight of the pair, "he's waking up, but somehow we were kicked out of the room and we can't get back in."

"Calm yourself," Thor commanded in a voice that even the other Alpha deferred to. "We do not need the Hulk to make an appearance for a simple case of panicked magic."

All eyes turned to stare incredulously at the God of Thunder.

"But that's…" Steve's eyes widened at the implications.

Thor ignored all of them and made his way to the door, gripping Mjolnir tight. He lifted the hammer to his head and slowly pushed the door open.

* * *

Ammie: Okay, so there it is, the next chapter. Hopefully, I'll have more to post soon. I'm actually doing pretty well on my Christmas posts so, who knows, this may continue to get added to. Anyway, let me know what you think.


	4. Chapter 4

To Have a Home

By Ammie Hawk

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

AN: Okay, so we come once again to my Twelve Days of Christmas. This is the first installment, hope you enjoy. Just so everyone knows, I have the twelve chapters already written, but they are not for one story, so keep your eyes on my page for the next update. Anyway, Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas.

Chapter 3

Thor made his way carefully over to the bed with the barely conscious wizard. He knew that the swirling magic in the air wasn't meant to harm, only to protect the boy, but if he did anything threatening that could change at any moment.

"It's okay, little one," he said, his voice easily carrying through the room. "No one will hurt you. You are safe."

Glazed green eyes turned to regard the Asgardian. Thor had to stop himself from shuddering or disappearing into his memories. Those eyes reminded him so much of his brother's.

"Little one," he continued his approach, "my name is Thor, and if you'll calm down, my friends and I would like to help you."

He continued talking, mostly nonsensical platitudes, till he finally reached the bed. He placed his free hand on the boy's shoulder, hoping to calm him. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when the magic in the room dissipated.

"You can come in," he called over his shoulder to the others. "All is well, now."

Bruce was the first one back into the room. He made a beeline for the bed and before the other Alpha could react, he inserted a needle into the IV line and pushed the plunger.

"What have you done?" the God of Thunder barely managed to keep his voice down, for the boy's sake.

"It's just a mild sedative," Bruce reassured him. "Harry needs to rest, another outburst like that could kill him."

"You know nothing," Thor snarled, but quickly turned his attention back to the boy, who was quickly slipping back into unconsciousness. "Don't fight it, little one. I am sorry, but sleep now. I will be here when you wake, I promise."

The emerald orbs held his for a moment longer before finally succumbing to the drugs in his system. As soon as the child was comfortable, he turned back to the other Alpha.

"Twice today you have failed an Omega in your care," his voice was deceptively calm. "There will not be a third. If I catch so much as a whiff of you on these premises before the child is released, you will answer to me."

The brunet looked ready to take the challenge, as green began bleeding into his eyes, but a hand on his arm gave him pause. He turned to glare at the one who dared to interfere.

"Come on," Natasha said lightly. "Why don't you and me head back to Stark's tower and find us the best room. It'll be fun. And besides, the big guy's not needed here."

Bruce took a deep breath and nodded. This was not the place to have it out with the other Alpha. With a sigh, he allowed the only female on the team to lead him out of the room.

Once they were out of the room, Thor allowed himself to relax. He took the seat at the head of the bed, prepared to wait for the boy to reawaken. Tony sat in the only other chair at the foot of the bed, leaving Steve and Clint to stand.

"So," Clint leaned against the wall, arms folded defensively against his chest, "want to explain what the hell just happened? Are we dealing with another Loki here or what?"

"No," Steve shook his head, "magic here is different than what Loki used. It's more contained, less chaotic."

"Actually, they're no different," Thor cut in. "Magic is the same throughout the nine realms, access to it is what differs. Midgardians limit and weaken themselves with their lack of knowledge."

"Why would you say that?" the Captain scowled. "Wizards and witches are not weak."

"I'm not saying they are," the god shook his head. "I'm just explaining that they have fettered themselves with the use of a medium to harness their powers, as other mages throughout the realms do not. My mother and Loki could explain it better than I, as I am a warrior and cannot wield magic as they do. And Clint, he is just a child, there is nothing to fear from him, besides, even if there was, I would protect you."

"Wait," Tony interjected, waving his hands in front of him, looking over at the archer, choosing to latch onto a topic he could actually grasp at the moment, he'd deal with the rest later. "Barton, is he your Alpha?"

"I am courting him, yes," Thor gave a very roguish grin. "It is a work in progress, but yes, I am confident he will be mine."

"Pretty cocky there, Sparky," Clint rolled his eyes but the smile pulling at the corners of his mouth gave him away. "It's still my choice whether I accept you or not. You can't take that away from me."

"And I wouldn't dream of it," the long haired blond reached out and pulled the Omega onto his lap. "That is why I am courting you. I just have faith in you."

"Ew, gross, get a room," Tony looked away from the display of affection, pretending he actually cared. "There is a child present," he motioned to the unconscious boy.

"He's sleeping, Tony," Steve sighed, making his way to the head of the bed, still not quite believing this was his son.

"Anyway, changing the subject," the billionaire shook his head. "Did we ever figure out what status the kid had? Last I knew he hadn't been marked yet."

"They're running a lot of tests right now," the Captain took a deep breath, trying to keep his emotions in check. "That's on the list."

"He's an Omega," Thor frowned. "Don't they teach you how to identify what others are around you?"

"We got tats," Tony said, lowering the waistband on his left hip, revealing a green triquetra. "The only other way to tell is a hormone test."

"Excuse me," Steve turned and left the room.

The other three didn't try to stop him, it was a lot for the poor man to take. Hell, it was a lot for all of them to take in.

"When all this is over, and we return to the tower," the Asgardian shook his head, "I will personally teach each of you to identify someone's status by more natural means."

"That sounds like a great plan," Clint said, leaning back into the Alpha's embrace.

With that, silence descended on the trio and they settled in to wait.

888888

Steve made his way out of the ICU and back toward Bucky's room, tears flowing unchecked down his cheeks. He thought it had been hard seeing Tony, who was practically the spitting image of Howard, but their son was almost breaking his heart from the pain of missing his mate. He knew that some bonded mates didn't make it after one partner died, but he had sworn when he woke up that he wouldn't give up on this chance at life, after all Howard hadn't and he could at least be that strong. Besides, he had to be now, his son needed him.

He reached the room his old friend was in, and leaned back against the wall outside the door. He really wasn't sure what to do now. He really wished Howard was there, he'd know what to do. Hell, he'd even take Bucky yelling at him right now, telling him to at least get off his ass and do something.

He put his head in his hands and wished he could get away for a little bit, just a day or so, so he could clear his head. There was just too much going on here. With that thought, he pushed off the wall and headed for the facility's garage, where he kept a spare bike.

He grabbed his bike and headed upstate. He didn't know if it was still there or what condition it was in, but Howard had bought him a house. Not that they had gotten a chance to live there, but it had been where they'd bonded. It had been an amazing week, an escape from the reality of the war they'd been fighting, a dream. The most amazing dream he'd ever had, one that had been snatched away from them way too soon. He needed to make new dreams now, with his son, and hopefully Bucky, but first he had to let go.

He was surprised, when he finally arrived at his destination, that the house was still standing and in good condition. Though, it did look like someone else was living there now. Well, it couldn't hurt to see if they'd let him look around. With that thought in mind, he parked the bike and made his way to the front doors. He took a deep, fortifying breath and knocked.

"Yes?" a tall think man with black, shoulder length hair and a slightly hooked nose answered after a moment. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah," Steve smiled nervously. "Sorry to bother you, but, you see, I used to live here and I was just wondering if I could have a look around, for old time's sake, and then I'll be out of your hair, I promise."

A dark brow rose over equally dark eyes, "I highly doubt that, I have been taking care of this house and property for almost twenty years now, and my mother before me. We were charged by Mr. Stark himself to keep it in working order, even after his unfortunate passing."

"Look," the Captain let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, "I know you have no reason to believe me, but I knew Howard Stark, a long time ago. He actually bought this house for me."

"Hm," the other man gave him the once over before stepping aside to let him in. "Please, come in."

"You… you believe me?" he asked hesitantly, stepping inside.

"No one would claim to be Captain Steve Rogers who wasn't," the dark haired man led him through to the living room. "I read that you had returned. Besides, the property is warded so no one can find it unless they know it is here. Tea?"

"Uh, yeah, thanks," the blond nodded, taking a seat on the sofa. "You seem to have me at a bit of a disadvantage here, you obviously know who I am but I have no clue who you are."

"You wouldn't," he smirked, "we've never met. My mother always spoke very highly of you though, as did Mr. Stark, on the rare occasions I saw him."

"Your mother?"

"You would've known her as Eileen Prince," he handed Steve a cup of tea.

"Ei-Eileen?" Steve stuttered, accepting the beverage on autopilot. "Wow. Did Howard hire here because of who she was?"

"Yes, he hired her because she was your cousin," the other nodded.

"Damn," the blond shook his head. "Guess that makes us cousins too. Uh, Steve Rogers, pleasure to meet you," he extended his hand.

"Severus Snape," he accepted the proffered hand. "The pleasure is all mine."

"I'm just finding family all over the place," Steve chuckled a bit hysterically.

"Here," Severus sighed, pulling a vile from his pocket, "if you'll allow me, you seem to be in need of this."

"I don't know how effective a Calming Draught will be," the super soldier shook his head, "but sure, why not, couldn't hurt anything," he held out his cup for the potion. "So let me guess, you're exactly like Eileen and can't keep your nose out of a cauldron?"

"I do share my mother's love for potions," the raven haired man smirked, settling back into his chair. "I actually teach the subject at Hogwarts."

"Impressive," Steve could feel the effects of the potion working, minimal though they were, thanks to the serum. "That's the only magic school in Britain, right? And one of the top ten in Europe?"

"Yes," Snape chuckled. "Each country likes to believe their school is the best, but statistically it is in the top five."

"Well, congratulations, I guess," Steve raised his glass. "Thought, maybe with all those resources at your disposal, you could create a stronger Calming Draught. Not that I'm complaining, it did take the edge off, but I can already feel it wearing off."

"I will see what I can do," a dark brow rose. "However, I am assuming you are at least staying the night. The master bedroom is down the hall on the left, as I'm sure you know. There aren't many personal effects. After Mr. Stark passed, my mother packed everything he'd left here into a box and put it in the top of the closet. With that, I bid you good night. If you have need of anything, I'm in the first room on the right."

"Yeah, good night," the blond nodded, placing his cup on the table and pushing to his feet. "It was nice to meet you. I probably won't see you in the morning, I have to get back, and will more than likely be leaving really early."

"In that case, I hope we shall meet again," he extended his hand.

"Yeah, me too," Steve smiled as they shook hands.

888888

Harry felt like he was being held under water. Everything was so fuzzy. The last thing he clearly remembered was his uncle finding out he wasn't allowed to use magic outside of school, followed by one of the worst beatings he had ever received.

He shifted slightly, feeling the course sheets rub against his abused back. He bit his lip to keep from crying out, the Dursleys didn't like it when he cried after his punishments: They always promised worse if he did. But something was wrong. His sheets were never this stiff, they were so old and overused they were actually really soft, almost nonexistent, but soft.

He inwardly scowled, and tried to remember where he was. Wait, he'd asked Dobby to take him to New York. He'd gone to Stark Tower to try and join the Avengers, only no one had been there. That had to be where he was.

That's right, he'd fallen asleep after cleaning for the day. He should get up and continue cleaning, he did need to make a good impression after all. Though he had been having a really good dream.

There had been a man in it. He seemed to be glowing, practically radiating electricity. It should have terrified him, all that raw power in one person. And it did, at first, but as he drew closer, he could feel that the man wasn't there to hurt him, but protect him. He didn't believe in angels, but this guy probably was one. Someone like that couldn't be real, not even in the magical world.

Well, as Dumbledore told him, it doesn't do to dwell on dreams and forget to live. It was time to wake up and continue with his plan.

He opened his eyes and almost immediately regretted it. The lights were too bright and everything was fuzzy. He fumbled around for a moment, trying to find his glasses when suddenly he felt a much larger hand close around his own. He froze on instinct, his eyes flying open. He blanched from the light, but tried to see who was there.

"Easy there, kid," a male voice he didn't recognize said calmly. "Tony. Tony, get the lights, the kid's awake."

He heard movement at the foot of the bed and a moment later the lights dimmed to a manageable level. He squinted in the direction of the hand still holding his own, but could only make out that there were two people there but couldn't distinguish any features.

"It's okay, kiddo," the one holding his hand gave a reassuring squeeze. "You're safe now. No one's gonna hurt you. I'm Clint, by the way. This is Thor and that's Tony," he barely made out that he was pointing at the others.

"Wh-where am I?" he asked hoarsely, and a straw was placed to his lips.

"You're in the hospital," the one dubbed Tony answered, sitting down on the bed next to him and he was able to see him a bit better. "I know," he pulled a face, "not my first choice, but you left us no choice, Little Oz, you were in pretty bad shape and none of us are actual medical doctors."

"O-Okay," Harry wasn't sure what to make of this Tony character. "Can I have my glasses?"

"Glasses?" Clint said, a frown marring his features. "I didn't see any glasses. Tony?"

"Nope," the billionaire shook his head. "If they were at the tower though, they're probably gone. But don't worry, kiddo, I'll go get a doctor and see if we can't get some temporary specs for ya. Later we'll get you some fancy new ones, maybe even contacts or Lasik, be a shame to keep those gems covered all the time."

With that being said, Tony got up and left the room. Green eyes turned to the pair left in the room with him. He wished that they would move closer so he could actually see them, but then again, he wanted the space, it was bad enough Clint still hadn't let go of his hand.

"Harry," the one called Thor leaned forward, causing Clint to move as well. "Your name is Harry, yes?" the wizard nodded hesitantly, unable to look away from the blue eyes now holding his own. "I know it is difficult, and you have been through much for one so young, but you can trust us. No harm will come to you while you are in our care."

He wasn't sure why, but he did trust this man. There was something very soothing about his presence. He nodded to show he did trust him.

"Good," the Asgardian nodded, as the door opened to admit Tony, as well as a doctor and two nurses.

"Ah, Mr. Potter," the doctor extended his hand, "we're glad you've woken up. Now, there are a few things we need to take care of. First of all, Mr.—"

"Tony," the brunet interrupted.

"Tony," the doctor rolled his eyes, "has informed us that you require eye glasses. We will begin that exam shortly, however, that brings me to the second matter. As you may or may not be aware, it is required throughout the world, that all children, on their twelfth birthday be brought in and tested, and subsequently marked with their new status."

"Status?" Harry frowned, he'd never heard of that before.

"It's nothing to worry about, Little Oz," Tony shook his head. "We'll explain all that later. Right now, they're just gonna give you a small tattoo. See," he showed his to the boy, "it'll match mine. It'll be awesome."

"I don't want a tattoo," green eyes darted wildly around at all the people in the room.

"Harry," Thor's calm voice cut through his panic, "it is custom here, as barbaric as it is, it must be done. I will be right here the entire time, and if you'd like, you can hold on to my hand."

Harry wasn't used to being offered any form of comfort, for anything, but this man seemed sincere. In truth, he kinda reminded him of Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper. With that thought in mind, he nodded and twitched his hand in the blond's direction. A faint smile graced his lips, as he took the small hand in both of his large ones.

It didn't take too long for the task to be completed. It hadn't hurt, per se, but tears still prickled the back of his eyes. He didn't want any more marks proving he was different than everyone else.

"Great," Tony clapped his hands together, interrupting Harry's thoughts, as the doctor moved on to the eye exam. "With that being done, we can take him home now, right? You can give me his meds and instructions for his care, and I'll sign him out since Cappy's not here."

"I still cannot advise you taking him from the hospital at this time," the doctor shook his head. "His condition is still…"

"Look, Doc," Tony cut in, "I get that you advise against it, but I hate hospitals, and the kid is obviously uncomfortable, so I'm gonna take him back to the tower and get the best doctor money can buy to come see him there. Now, give me the fuckin' papers, so I can get the fuck out of here."

* * *

Ammie: Okay, there ya go, hope it satisfies... Anyway, hope you enjoy and let me know what you think.


	5. Chapter 5

To Have a Home

By Ammie Hawk

Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine.

AN: I know, I know, it's been forever. But this chapter has been a bitch to write. I've done at least three rewrites cause it kept going in a direction I didn't approve of at this point in time. Anyway, I finally wrangled it into submission, and here it is as a Labor Day/Birthday present to me. So, shall we…

Chapter 4

Harry stared straight ahead as he was wheeled down the hall of the hospital, a new pair of glasses perched on his nose. Not that he was complaining, but they felt weird. Then again, so did being in a wheelchair. He really wished these strange men would at least let him walk, but he didn't want to risk upsetting them by asking.

They made their way up to the roof, where Harry was almost blinded by the bright sunlight. Once his eyes adjusted, he saw they were headed for a strange looking plane. When they were about a hundred yards away, the chair stopped and Thor leaned over him, lifting him easily into his arms.

"I can walk," he said, once he was securely in the Asgardian's hold.

"I do not doubt your ability to," Thor smiled down at him. "However, given your condition, I feel better carrying you. You will find that no one here minds taking care of you. You are part of this makeshift family now, and surprisingly, we take that seriously."

"Oh," he said lamely, not sure what else to say.

He closed his mouth and decided to remain quiet for the entire flight. The others tried to engage the boy, but almost as soon as they were in the air, he fell asleep. None of them could blame him for this, as he was still sick, though Tony was put out that he couldn't get to know his newfound baby brother.

Once they landed at the tower, Tony relieved Thor of his brother and carried him inside. He took him straight to his bedroom, which had mostly survived the recent battle. He placed him carefully on the massive bed, making the already small boy seem even smaller. He would've liked to stay and make sure he was going to be okay, but he really should go see what the others were doing.

The billionaire arrived back in the living room just as Natasha and Bruce entered the room. As soon as the two alphas saw each other, both their shoulders tensed and they prepared to square off. The other two omegas in the room weren't sure what to do, so they retreated into the bar area, knowing they didn't want to get caught in the middle of whatever was going to happen. Tony, however, stepped between them and glared at them both.

"Don't you dare," he growled, stopping them in their tracks. "If you wake that boy in there with your alpha male posturing, I don't care what it takes, I will kick both of your asses."

"Tony," Thor went from aggressive to comforting in an instant, "there's no need for that. Banner and I were just going to discuss what happened at the hospital and how things will be handled from here on out."

"Yeah," the doctor agreed, only he remained on the offensive. "We can start with what happened at the hospital. I don't appreciate getting told off for doing my job and trying to help a sick and injured child."

"What you did was not happening," the Asgardian frowned, but didn't rise to the challenge in the other's voice. "All you did was, in essence, punish a scared little boy for defending himself."

"It wasn't a punishment," Bruce growled, but the green in his eyes receded a bit.

"He didn't know that," Thor sighed and sank onto the nearest couch. "This child has obviously been beaten, and we do not know why. For all we know, he has been repeatedly punished for using his magic. With that knowledge, he runs the risk of becoming," he said something in a language none of them understood, "an individual who rejects their magic to the point that it becomes a life-force all its own, which begins to feed off its wielder, leading to that individual's untimely demise."

"That's horrible," Natasha cut in. "Who would do something like that, especially to a child?"

"Those who fear it," blue eyes locked with each of the others in turn. "It is becoming very clear to me that things here on Midgard are vastly different than on Asgard. If young Harry had been born on Asgard, he would've been trained from a very young age how to properly wield and respect his abilities. We should look into getting him a teacher. I could request one from Asgard, but if I do that, I know my father will send Loki, as a form of punishment."

"Let's exhaust all our options before we bring that maniac back," Clint shuddered slightly.

"And we shall, Clint," Thor gave him a fond smile. "Though, you will have to get over this fear, Loki is still my brother. Now, Banner, I don't want to fight with you."

The doctor scoffed at this.

"I don't," he shook his head. "Just because we are both alphas does not mean we have to constantly be at odds. I grew up with two other alphas, and while we may have butted heads at times, we always worked together to protect our home and family. I hope to do the same with you. And even though things are different, it is my hope we can come to some sort of understanding."

"Fine," Banner took a deep breath, finally fully reigning in his more volatile half.

"Great," Tony cut in. "Now that that's settled, let's work on getting this place cleaned up and then we can figure out where everyone's going to be staying."

888888

Steve returned to the S.H.I.E.L.D. hospital late the following day. He stopped first at his son's room, only to find that Tony had checked him out. He didn't mind really, what with his medical history before the serum, he wasn't overly fond of hospitals himself, so why should the kid be subjected to them. No, what really bugged him about that was that he hadn't been there when his son woke up, and he felt like he couldn't return to the tower just yet, so he still couldn't see him.

With a sigh, he shifted the box of Howard's things he had taken from the house and headed off to find a place he could go through them in peace. He found an old office that didn't seem like it had been used for quite some time. He placed the box on the desk and sat down in the chair. He then opened the box and began going through it.

Inside, there were mostly trinkets, odds and ends that they'd collected over their time together, and others that Howard had obviously added after. There were also a couple of video reels, but he'd have to find a projector at a later point in time, maybe Tony had one he could use. No, what he was really interested in was the stack of journals that Howard had kept over the years. He found the oldest one and settled in to read.

 _Steve,_

 _It's only been a month since you've been gone, but it feels like an eternity. I can tell you are not dead, as everyone else believes. I can still feel the bond between us. It has significantly weakened, but it is still there. Now all I can do is search and hope that one day I can bring you home again._

 _Howard_

He could feel the tears rolling down his cheeks, but he couldn't bring himself to wipe them away. It touched him as much as it hurt him to read how much Howard had searched for him in those first few years.

The first journal contained more of the same, with increasing desperation in finding Steve. On about the fifth one down, the tone changed.

 _Steve,_

 _The first time I saw you was in that lab for Dr. Erskine's experiment. You were so scrawny, I really didn't want to put you in that machine. But the choice was inevitably yours._

 _When you came out of the procedure you were different. Before, I couldn't help but admire you for your courage and inner strength, after, you were simply breathtaking. However, I knew I couldn't pursue you at that point, you had the scent of a strong Alpha on you, it was faint but still there. And then there was that Beta female. She didn't deserve you, could never understand you._

 _I know I was wrong in making my move so soon after Sergeant Barnes' death. But I couldn't do it. I couldn't let you slip away again. But even after all that, I still lost you. I can't blame you for what you did, you saved the world, but in the process you buried my heart with you._

 _I want you to know that I will never forget you and will always love you, and will never stop looking for you. But it's been twenty years, Steve, and as much as it pains me to say it, if you were in my shoes I'd want you to move on. So I hope you can forgive me, but I've met someone. She will never take your place, and I'm not saying that if I find you again I wouldn't drop her flat, but I feel like I need to get on with my life._

 _Howard_

Steve put the journal down and placed his head in his hand. Why would Howard do that to him? He didn't blame Howard for moving on, that wasn't what bothered him. What really got him was that he'd waited twenty years before even considering it, and here he was, barely three years after having woken up, contemplating starting a new life with someone else.

He was brought from his troubling thoughts as someone knocked on the door. His eyes shot up as the portal opened, revealing Agent Maria Hill. The stern agent gave him a quick once over before crossing her arms over her chest.

"Forgive my frankness, Captain," her brow rose curiously, "but what are you doing here?"

"Sorry, I didn't think this office was being used," he shook his head. "I can clear out. I need to go check on Bucky anyway."

"No, Steve," she held up her hand. "I wasn't talking about the office. I was talking about here in general. You should be at Stark Tower, with your son. As an Omega, you need to be with your child. And from what we found out, that boy needs you. He needs his daddy more than anything right now. So, with all due respect, sir, get your ass out of here. I will call you if there are any changes with Barnes."

"Alright," he conceded.

He quickly repacked the box and made his way back to his bike.

888888

Harry woke up to find himself, once again, in a strange bed. This time, however, the sheets were really, really soft, just like the rest of the bed. The room around him was rather dark and he couldn't make out much, even once he'd located his new glasses on the bedside table. All that aside, he really needed to get up and find a bathroom.

With that thought in mind, he crawled to the edge of the bed. As he made to stand up, the sheets and blankets seemed to take on a life of their own and he ended up in a tangled mess on the floor. He let out a small involuntary cry of pain as his back came into contact with the ground.

He was just starting to catch his breath when the door burst open and the room flooded with light. Two men made their way over to him, he recognized one of them as Tony, but the other he didn't recognize at all.

"Hey, hey, hey," Tony fell to his knees beside him, "what's going on, kiddo? You were supposed to be sleeping."

"I-I have to use the bathroom," Harry admitted quietly, looking at the floor.

"Ah," the billionaire nodded. "Okay, I can take you. Just grab on to my neck."

"I-I can walk," he protested.

"Kids, you couldn't even make it out of bed without falling," brown eyes met his. "Look, it's okay to admit when you need help. None of us here mind, really. Now, up you get."

Harry reluctantly placed his arms around the brunet's neck and was carefully lifted off the ground. Tony gently carried his brother across the room to the ensuite bathroom and set him down next to the toilet. He then left the room and waited outside the door, to give the boy some privacy. A few minutes later, the door opened again and he took the boy back to the bed.

"So," Tony said once he was settled again, "now that you're done giving all of us a heart attack, you hungry? Clint made soup just for you. Well, he shared it with everyone, but he made it with you in mind."

"I-I guess," he frowned slightly, he wasn't overly hungry but he didn't want to seem ungrateful.

"Great," the billionaire clapped his hands together. "I'll go get you some." He rose to leave, but paused before he opened the door, but didn't turn around, "Steve, would you like some too?"

"Yeah, that'd be great," the blond gave a half-hearted smile at the other's retreating back. "Thanks, Tony."

He nodded and then left the room. Once the door closed behind him, blue eyes turned and locked with green.

"So," Steve took a deep breath, "you're Harry." It wasn't really a question, but he nodded anyway. "I'm, uh, Steve. And, uh, I feel like I should apologize to you, Harry."

"Why?" the boy cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"Why?" the blond frowned. "Why would I not? What…" he paused. "What did they tell you?"

"I got a tattoo," Harry answered quietly. "And then we left the hospital."

"Wow," Steve ran his hand through his hair. "Well, I guess it is only appropriate that I be the one to tell you. Before I do, it might be too much to ask, but please don't get too mad at me, I just found out myself. Anyway, I, uh, I'm your father."

"What?"

"Yeah," the blond sighed. "It's a long story, and I don't know all of it, because I was unconscious when you were born, but yeah, you're my son."

"Really?" tears welled up in the emerald orbs. "I don't have to go back?"

"Harry," Steve reached out and took his head, "whether you were related to any of us or not, you would never have to go back to the monsters who did this to you. None of us would allow it."

Harry couldn't help himself, he buried his face in his hands and began to sob. Steve was on the bed in an instant and pulled the boy gently into his arms. Mindful of the injuries, he rested him against his chest and began running his hand soothingly through the messy raven locks.

* * *

Ammie: Okay, so there it is. I hope this cleared up a bit of the misunderstanding that cropped up in the last chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my efforts, and let me know what you think.


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